Common Whitetail
Plathemis lydia (Drury, 1773)
Common Whitetail in all of Ohio
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Odonata
- Family
- Libellulidae
- Genus
- Plathemis
Range
Where it is recorded
Season shown in 38 of Ohio's 88 counties. Explore Ohio
- No result yet (0)
- Recorded, too few records for a result (18)
- Recorded, season not shown (32)
- Season shown (38)
Counties as a table
| County | Records |
|---|---|
| Adams County | 69 · Recorded, season not shown |
| Allen County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Ashland County | 23 · Recorded, season not shown |
| Ashtabula County | 129 · Season shown |
| Athens County | 39 · Recorded, season not shown |
| Auglaize County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Belmont County | 23 · Season shown |
| Brown County | 29 · Recorded, season not shown |
| Butler County | 52 · Recorded, season not shown |
| Carroll County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Champaign County | 326 · Season shown |
| Clark County | 124 · Season shown |
| Clermont County | 107 · Recorded, season not shown |
| Clinton County | 25 · Recorded, season not shown |
| Columbiana County | 28 · Season shown |
| Coshocton County | 71 · Recorded, season not shown |
| Crawford County | 52 · Season shown |
| Cuyahoga County | 243 · Season shown |
| Darke County | 34 · Recorded, season not shown |
| Defiance County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Delaware County | 95 · Season shown |
| Erie County | 31 · Season shown |
| Fairfield County | 38 · Recorded, season not shown |
| Fayette County | 26 · Recorded, season not shown |
| Franklin County | 591 · Season shown |
| Fulton County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Gallia County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Geauga County | 83 · Season shown |
| Greene County | 345 · Season shown |
| Guernsey County | 22 · Season shown |
| Hamilton County | 166 · Season shown |
| Hancock County | 40 · Season shown |
| Hardin County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Harrison County | 43 · Season shown |
| Henry County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Highland County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Hocking County | 29 · Season shown |
| Holmes County | 33 · Recorded, season not shown |
| Huron County | 27 · Season shown |
| Jackson County | 23 · Recorded, season not shown |
| Jefferson County | 42 · Season shown |
| Knox County | 37 · Recorded, season not shown |
| Lake County | 174 · Season shown |
| Lawrence County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Licking County | 85 · Season shown |
| Logan County | 87 · Season shown |
| Lorain County | 196 · Recorded, season not shown |
| Lucas County | 247 · Season shown |
| Madison County | 63 · Recorded, season not shown |
| Mahoning County | 70 · Season shown |
| Marion County | 44 · Season shown |
| Medina County | 77 · Season shown |
| Meigs County | 27 · Recorded, season not shown |
| Mercer County | 25 · Recorded, season not shown |
| Miami County | 34 · Recorded, season not shown |
| Monroe County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Montgomery County | 164 · Season shown |
| Morgan County | 22 · Recorded, season not shown |
| Morrow County | 83 · Recorded, season not shown |
| Muskingum County | 33 · Season shown |
| Noble County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Ottawa County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Paulding County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Perry County | 22 · Season shown |
| Pickaway County | 40 · Recorded, season not shown |
| Pike County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Portage County | 150 · Season shown |
| Preble County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Putnam County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Richland County | 43 · Recorded, season not shown |
| Ross County | 34 · Recorded, season not shown |
| Sandusky County | 29 · Season shown |
| Scioto County | 27 · Recorded, season not shown |
| Seneca County | 103 · Season shown |
| Shelby County | 41 · Season shown |
| Stark County | 150 · Season shown |
| Summit County | 412 · Season shown |
| Trumbull County | 49 · Recorded, season not shown |
| Tuscarawas County | 41 · Season shown |
| Union County | 38 · Recorded, season not shown |
| Van Wert County | 26 · Recorded, season not shown |
| Vinton County | 31 · Recorded, season not shown |
| Warren County | 56 · Season shown |
| Washington County | 20 · Season shown |
| Wayne County | 86 · Recorded, season not shown |
| Williams County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Wood County | 51 · Recorded, season not shown |
| Wyandot County | 39 · Recorded, season not shown |
No mapped range from the range source used, the USGS Gap Analysis Project, which maps land vertebrates only.
Season
When it is recorded
In Hancock County
Early June to mid-August, middle week Jun 28 – Jul 4
Records per week from 40 records in 8 of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025. Shows when people recorded it, not how common it is. The grey bars show how many records of all species were made here each week, so you can see when recording itself was high or low; the season is not adjusted by them.
Recorded on 29 dates. Latest record: July 2025.
Show as a table
| Week | Records of Common Whitetail | Years recorded | Records of all species |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 4–10 | 0 | 0 | 42 |
| Jan 11–17 | 0 | 0 | 11 |
| Jan 18–24 | 0 | 0 | 15 |
| Jan 25–31 | 0 | 0 | 17 |
| Feb 1–7 | 0 | 0 | 25 |
| Feb 8–14 | 0 | 0 | 18 |
| Feb 15–21 | 0 | 0 | 78 |
| Feb 22–28 | 0 | 0 | 51 |
| Mar 1–7 | 0 | 0 | 71 |
| Mar 8–14 | 0 | 0 | 105 |
| Mar 15–21 | 0 | 0 | 54 |
| Mar 22–28 | 0 | 0 | 56 |
| Mar 29 – Apr 4 | 0 | 0 | 72 |
| Apr 5–11 | 0 | 0 | 223 |
| Apr 12–18 | 0 | 0 | 135 |
| Apr 19–25 | 0 | 0 | 162 |
| Apr 26 – May 2 | 0 | 0 | 184 |
| May 3–9 | 0 | 0 | 178 |
| May 10–16 | 0 | 0 | 184 |
| May 17–23 | 0 | 0 | 249 |
| May 24–30 | 1 | 1 | 237 |
| May 31 – Jun 6 | 0 | 0 | 234 |
| Jun 7–13 | 2 | 2 | 270 |
| Jun 14–20 | 4 | 3 | 275 |
| Jun 21–27 | 12 | 6 | 712 |
| Jun 28 – Jul 4 | 7 | 3 | 360 |
| Jul 5–11 | 6 | 2 | 390 |
| Jul 12–18 | 0 | 0 | 513 |
| Jul 19–25 | 0 | 0 | 343 |
| Jul 26 – Aug 1 | 5 | 3 | 536 |
| Aug 2–8 | 0 | 0 | 444 |
| Aug 9–15 | 0 | 0 | 302 |
| Aug 16–22 | 1 | 1 | 335 |
| Aug 23–29 | 1 | 1 | 431 |
| Aug 30 – Sep 5 | 1 | 1 | 403 |
| Sep 6–12 | 0 | 0 | 281 |
| Sep 13–19 | 0 | 0 | 238 |
| Sep 20–26 | 0 | 0 | 204 |
| Sep 27 – Oct 3 | 0 | 0 | 207 |
| Oct 4–10 | 0 | 0 | 141 |
| Oct 11–17 | 0 | 0 | 97 |
| Oct 18–24 | 0 | 0 | 55 |
| Oct 25–31 | 0 | 0 | 99 |
| Nov 1–7 | 0 | 0 | 49 |
| Nov 8–14 | 0 | 0 | 49 |
| Nov 15–21 | 0 | 0 | 28 |
| Nov 22–28 | 0 | 0 | 53 |
| Nov 29 – Dec 5 | 0 | 0 | 41 |
| Dec 6–12 | 0 | 0 | 20 |
| Dec 13–19 | 0 | 0 | 13 |
| Dec 20–26 | 0 | 0 | 9 |
| Dec 27 – Jan 2 | 0 | 0 | 26 |
Reported as an adult
Only 18 records here are marked as adults, too few to show a adult season. One needs at least 20 records from 5 different years.
Reported as a larva
No records here are marked as larvae yet, so there is no larva season to show. One needs at least 20 records from 5 different years.
In Ohio
Mid-May to late August, middle week Jun 28 – Jul 4
Records per week from 9,600 records in 10 of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025. Shows when people recorded it, not how common it is. The grey bars show how many records of all species were made here each week, so you can see when recording itself was high or low; the season is not adjusted by them.
Recorded on 1,235 dates. Latest record: October 2025.
Show as a table
| Week | Records of Common Whitetail | Years recorded | Records of all species |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 4–10 | 0 | 0 | 6,211 |
| Jan 11–17 | 0 | 0 | 5,146 |
| Jan 18–24 | 0 | 0 | 4,645 |
| Jan 25–31 | 0 | 0 | 4,698 |
| Feb 1–7 | 0 | 0 | 6,023 |
| Feb 8–14 | 0 | 0 | 5,888 |
| Feb 15–21 | 0 | 0 | 5,436 |
| Feb 22–28 | 0 | 0 | 6,846 |
| Mar 1–7 | 0 | 0 | 8,321 |
| Mar 8–14 | 0 | 0 | 10,384 |
| Mar 15–21 | 0 | 0 | 12,620 |
| Mar 22–28 | 0 | 0 | 13,949 |
| Mar 29 – Apr 4 | 0 | 0 | 19,661 |
| Apr 5–11 | 0 | 0 | 26,860 |
| Apr 12–18 | 1 | 1 | 39,925 |
| Apr 19–25 | 9 | 4 | 41,623 |
| Apr 26 – May 2 | 31 | 6 | 56,391 |
| May 3–9 | 83 | 10 | 52,952 |
| May 10–16 | 173 | 9 | 53,785 |
| May 17–23 | 476 | 10 | 57,698 |
| May 24–30 | 731 | 10 | 54,651 |
| May 31 – Jun 6 | 762 | 10 | 53,099 |
| Jun 7–13 | 860 | 10 | 53,700 |
| Jun 14–20 | 756 | 10 | 56,625 |
| Jun 21–27 | 660 | 10 | 55,361 |
| Jun 28 – Jul 4 | 742 | 10 | 58,477 |
| Jul 5–11 | 657 | 10 | 61,336 |
| Jul 12–18 | 680 | 10 | 64,722 |
| Jul 19–25 | 544 | 10 | 69,753 |
| Jul 26 – Aug 1 | 459 | 10 | 59,416 |
| Aug 2–8 | 444 | 10 | 59,712 |
| Aug 9–15 | 368 | 10 | 55,994 |
| Aug 16–22 | 305 | 10 | 54,328 |
| Aug 23–29 | 283 | 10 | 51,772 |
| Aug 30 – Sep 5 | 220 | 9 | 57,167 |
| Sep 6–12 | 141 | 10 | 59,075 |
| Sep 13–19 | 73 | 10 | 54,543 |
| Sep 20–26 | 81 | 10 | 45,860 |
| Sep 27 – Oct 3 | 40 | 8 | 43,180 |
| Oct 4–10 | 8 | 4 | 37,841 |
| Oct 11–17 | 9 | 4 | 30,824 |
| Oct 18–24 | 3 | 2 | 21,156 |
| Oct 25–31 | 1 | 1 | 19,021 |
| Nov 1–7 | 0 | 0 | 14,172 |
| Nov 8–14 | 0 | 0 | 12,621 |
| Nov 15–21 | 0 | 0 | 7,965 |
| Nov 22–28 | 0 | 0 | 8,136 |
| Nov 29 – Dec 5 | 0 | 0 | 6,083 |
| Dec 6–12 | 0 | 0 | 6,004 |
| Dec 13–19 | 0 | 0 | 5,423 |
| Dec 20–26 | 0 | 0 | 5,661 |
| Dec 27 – Jan 2 | 0 | 0 | 8,459 |
Reported as an adult
Usually reported as an adult mid-May to early September, middle week Jun 28 – Jul 4.
From 1,666 records that are marked as adults. Not every photo is marked with a life stage, so this shows when people reported it as an adult, not when adults are about.
Reported as a larva
No records here are marked as larvae yet, so there is no larva season to show. One needs at least 20 records from 5 different years.
What these results show
These results show when people recorded a species, not when or where it occurs. Missing weeks and low counts do not mean absence or scarcity, and counts are not abundance. Contributed records reflect where, when and what people chose to observe.
Identification
How to identify it
Often confused with
- Twelve-spotted Skimmer Libellula pulchellaOften confused in Ohio: 62 identifications in Ohio named one where the other was meant
- Widow Skimmer Libellula luctuosaOften confused in Ohio: 26 identifications in Ohio named one where the other was meant
- Prince Baskettail Epitheca princeps170 identifications worldwide named one where the other was meant
- Banded Pennant Celithemis fasciata155 identifications worldwide named one where the other was meant
- Painted Skimmer Libellula semifasciata53 identifications worldwide named one where the other was meant
From iNaturalist’s similar-species counts, refreshed monthly: confusions in Ohio first, then worldwide. Only species with an Ohio result are listed.
Months not reported
- Jan: no record
- Feb: no record
- Mar: no record
- Apr: recorded
- May: recorded
- Jun: recorded
- Jul: recorded
- Aug: recorded
- Sep: recorded
- Oct: recorded
- Nov: no record
- Dec: no record
Not reported in Ohio in November to March, 2016 to 2025.
Land cover where it is recorded
| Land cover | Its recordsAll Ohio records |
|---|---|
| Developed | 35%49% |
| Forest | 28%31% |
| Farmland | 16%11% |
| Wetland | 12%5% |
| Open water | 6%3% |
| Grassland and shrub | 2%0.9% |
| Barren | 1%0.6% |
From 3,330 records placed within 100 m, beside all Ohio records placed the same way. People record where they go, so this shows where records come from, not where the species lives. Land cover: USGS Annual NLCD, 2025 (opens in a new tab)
Sources
Where these results come from
- Records from iNaturalist research-grade observations and expert-identified GBIF datasets, CC0, CC BY and CC BY-NC. Sources
- Seasons use the published method and its evidence thresholds. Methods
- See it on iNaturalist (opens in a new tab)OpenPhenology is independent and not affiliated with iNaturalist.
Records behind the Hancock County result
40 records from 1 dataset.
- iNaturalist Research-grade Observations (opens in a new tab) · iNaturalist.org · 40 recordsiNaturalist contributors, iNaturalist (2026). iNaturalist Research-grade Observations. iNaturalist.org. Occurrence dataset https://doi.org/10.15468/ab3s5x accessed via GBIF.org on 2026-11-13.
To cite: the GBIF download doi:10.15468/dl.y2jkt8 (opens in a new tab).
A spreadsheet (CSV) with a link to each record, on iNaturalist or GBIF. Records whose location was hidden by the observer or the source are counted but not linked.